A Piece Of Clothing I Just Can’t Part With

April 11, 2013

Good morning, friends!

I woke up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning. I have no idea why because I stayed up later than usual last night watching American Idol (how amazing are the ladies!?), but I just went with it and got a ton accomplished early this morning. I love knocking things off of my To Do list like that!

Breakfast

This morning’s breakfast was an egg and cheese sandwich on a toasted, gluten-free English muffin with a glass of iced coffee with almond milk.

Easy and delicious!

After breakfast, I started packing for Ireland. Mal and I aren’t leaving until this weekend, but I always start my packing a few days before the actual trip because 1) I’m bad at it and 2) I refuse to check luggage. We’ll be gone for 7 days, so I’m trying to plan outfits and fit everything into my carry-on. It’s not nearly as bad as my 10-day packing challenge, but it will definitely take some coordination.

One item that I will definitely pack is a sweater that I actually bought in Ireland when I was there in 2000. I was on a semester abroad in York, England, so my girlfriends and I traveled all over Europe together, including a 3-day trip to Dublin and Galway.

I still remember buying this sweater at a little shop in Dublin. I was a broke joke on my semester abroad and only spent money on traveling and food (and beer), so buying this sweater was a big deal for me. I still remember seeing it in the store and immediately falling in love with it. It was warm and cozy with a hood and pockets, and it fit me really well. I just had to have it. I don’t remember exactly how much it cost, but it was cheaper than I expected, which is why I even considered buying it. Even still, I walked around the store with the sweater in my hands for a good 30 minutes trying to decide if I could really afford it or not.

Long story short, I ended up buying the sweater and wore it all the time on my semester abroad and in the years that followed. The sweater is almost 13 years old now, so I’ve thought about getting rid of it on occasion, but it still fits well and now it’s actually back in style. (Hey, Mal let’s me wear it in public!) It’s strange how attached I am to this sweater. It’s easily the oldest piece of clothing in my possession, and I really don’t think I’ll ever be able to part with it.

Three Questions Thursday

Could you tell us if your shopping budget has increased now that you guys are juicing a lot more?

This weekend, we were actually out of just about everything we usually use to make juice, and I only spent $19 on fruits and veggies (a mix of organic and conventional) to restock. Mal and I don’t make juice everyday (usually 4 or 5 days per week), but here’s what gets us through the week. Keep in mind this is for 2 people, so 2 juices per day:

2 bags of spinach

1 big bunch of kale or other leafy greens

5 apples

5 cucumbers

1 lemon

1 bunch of carrots

1 bag of celery (2 hearts)

1 small/medium piece of ginger root

I’m an avid reader of your blog and wanted to get your opinion on a training shoe for CrossFit. I’m a beginner and have just been using my running shoes, but want to wear them out doing CF. I’ve read about some different shoes that you’ve been given to try out, but do you have a shoe that you’ve been using that you would recommend or buy again for yourself? I’m definitely looking for a lighter weight, supportive shoe.

I love the Reebok Nano 2.0, and I recommend them to everyone. They are seriously the best shoe for CrossFit. They’re light yet stable, so they’re great for everything from box jumps to Olympics lifts. They’re my favorite, and I would totally buy them myself.

I read your blog all the time. I swore at one point, you had posted a blog that collects all the WODs that you can do at home, etc. but I can’t find it anywhere on your blog. Do you still have it, and if so, could you send it to me?

The Laughing Cow Giveaway

Thanks to everyone who entered to win some goodies from The Laughing Cow! Here are your winners:

Monica

I love the cinnamon flavored Laughing Cow cheese on sweet potatoes!

Erin WY

I eat Laughing Cow cheese wedges almost every day. My favorite flavor is Light Swiss, and I add it to so many different meals: ham, egg white, and cheese sandwiches or wraps; egg white omelets in a mug; cheesy broccoli mashed potatoes; cheesy broccoli soup. YUM!

Congrats, Monica and Erin! Please email me at tina@carrotsncake.com with your full name and mailing address to claim your prize.

Question of the Day

Do you have a piece of clothing that you just can’t part with? What’s the story behind it?

LOL!! I totally remember that sweater!! I think it’s great you still have it and are keeping it! That trip to Dublin and the people we met there is still one of my favorite memories from term abroad. Just had a little walk down memory lane

There’s nothing better than waking up with your game face on ready to tackle your to-do list and take on the world! I am also a carry on packer, I went to Italy for spring break and packed 10 days worth of clothing in a small duffle that only weighed 23 pounds (score!) but ended up checking it anyway so I wouldn’t have to hassle with it through all the connecting flights. I am obsessed with a pair of classic Frye boots I have had for five years now and I can’t seem to let them go! They had a hole in the sole of the shoe and I had to get the sole replaced by a shoemaker, I have had the leather cleaned multiple times, and I have threads hanging from some of the sides its horrible. I even bought the same pair brand new a few months ago and for some reason, I never touch them because I don’t have the attachment!

I have a dress from when I was a kid that I refuse to give away. Obviously I don’t still wear it (that would be strange, lol) but I remember it being one of the first dresses that I really felt pretty in. I loved wearing it and wore it all the time. I like to think it was the first of many, many dresses in my lifetime!

I actually just purged my wardrobe not long ago, but I just could not bring myself to get rid of a pair of ripped light blue denim jeans that I got during my year in Paris. I haven’t worn them in a long time, but some of my best memories involve wearing those jeans…

I still have these sweatpants from back in my dance days. They were originally my mom’s (she was my dance teacher) and part of a jacket/pant matching set. I never liked the jacket so it was goodwilled a million years ago. But even though they are baggy, ratty, and hideous, they are sooo comfy I just can’t bear to part with them. They even have pockets that hold my phone perfectly when I’m cleaning or walking the dog – the only activities I consider performing in them!

I would love some packing light tips from you before I go to South America and the US next month! No matter how many times I travel I always take too much luggage and regret it when I have to carry it around.

I refuse to part with this Marc by Marc Jacobs shirt I bought in high school. I was really stupid with my money back then, so I spent somewhere around $200 on this shirt. And even though I don’t wear it anymore, there is no way I’m getting rid of it!

The summer before my freshman year of college I vowed to get in shape and lose weight before the first day of school. I worked hard all summer long. I went shopping for clothes and tried on a size 8 skirt to find it was a little loose. So I tried a 6 and it fit perfectly. I still have that size 6 skirt as a reminder that I’ve lost weight before, and I can do it again!